Clutch.



w. CAMERON.

CLUTCH.

APPLICATION FELED FEB. 21. 1912.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

that an WILLIAM CAMERON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB T0 TORRIS WOLD & COMPANY, GI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. a, rare.

Application filed February 21, 1917. Serial No. 150,005.

, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Coolqand State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention. relates in general to clutches, but has more particular reference to a clutch which is especially adapted for use on can-makin machines and the like, where it is desirab e to operate or drive two sets of mechanisms from' one source of power.

Machines of this type include mechanism for feeding the metal blanks to the bodyforming mechanism and also mechanism for conveying the formed bodies through the machine in operative relation to the heating and soldering devices. Whenever it be comes necessary to stop the machine the blank feeding mechanism must, of course, be stopped but if the conveying mechanism were simultaneously stopped the can bodies in the machine which would be subjected to prolonged action of the soldering flames would be ruined.

- My present invention, therefore, contemplates the provision of a clutch to which the power is applied and from which it is trans- .mitted to the blank feeding mechanism and to the conveyer mechanism, the clutch'being so designed that when the machine is in operation the blank feeding mechanism and the conveying mechanism will be operated in synchronism or predetermined timed relation with respect to, each other, and when the clutch is thrown out the blank feeding mechanism will be stopped while the conveying mechanism will continue in operatlon so as to deliver all of the bodies from the machine and thus prevent them from being burnt or otherwise damagedin the machine.

Another object of my invention is to provide a clutch which when the machine is thrown into 0 eration will yield suficiently to prevent in ury to the machine or to the clutch, such as would result from an attempt to instantaneously set in motion at high speed an idle train of mechanisms. My improved clutch, therefore, is designed to slip or yield durin initial starting of the ma!- chine, or in oter words, when the clutch is first thrown in, so that the machinemay st r sl wly and gradually, a d a 1% t? clutch will cease so that the power will be transmitted directly without slippage or loss to the machine driven by the clutch.

In order to facilitate an understanding-0f my lnvention I have illustrated onepreferred embodiment thereof on the accompanying sheet of drawings from which, when considered in connection withthe following description, the construction, operat1on and many of the inherent advantages of'my invention should be readily apprecie ated. Referring to the single figure of the drawing which illustrates a median sectional view through a clutch embodying my invention, reference character 1 indicates ashaft upon which the mechanism embodying my invention ismounted, this shaft being-the driven shaft by which one set of mechanisms of the machine to which my clutch is ap plied is operated;

In a can body-forming machine to which my invention is applicable the shaft 1 is connected with and operates the blank feeding. mechanism (not shown) of the machine. Upon the shaft there is splined the driven member 2 of a clutch, which isadapted to be shifted longitudinally ofthe shaft by a suitable forked lever which engages in the groove 3 of a collar formed on the member 2 in the usual manner, rotation of the clutch member with respect to the shaft being prevented by a plurality of splines 4.

The drivin member of the clutch, indicated genera y by reference character 5,

comprises a relatively long bearing sleeve 6 rotatably mounted" upon the shaft '1 and held against longitudinal displacement from the shaft by a collar 7 secured to the end of the shaft by a pin 8, or otherwise. In order delivered. Ai cap or plug 13 threaded into the end o f-the receptaele'9 may be utilized to prevent the escape of the lubricant and also to force the lubricant to the wearing surfaces as the plug is screwed into the receptacle.

b Upon the driving member intermediate its en s I have rotatablymounted a power to frictionally engage'the surface 16.

At the opposite face of.the web 15 there is mounted on the hub or-sleeve 6 of the driving member a friction ring 19, preferably channel-shaped in cross section, as shown, and having a flat face 21 adapted to frictionally engage the opposed friction surface 17 of the power member. A ring 22 is shaped to enter the channel of the friction ring 19, and both the rings 19 and 22 are splined to the hub or sleeve 6 of the driving member by means of a' feather or spline 23. This, spline is fixedly secured to the sleeve '6 by screws 24: and the rings 19 and 22 are grooved to slidingly fit over and engage the spline.

For the purpose of forcing the ring 19 toward the web 15 so as to cause the-friction surfaces 16 and 17 to be engaged by andclamped between the surfaces 18 and 21 the outer end of the sleeve 6 is threaded toreceive. a ring or collar 25 which may be screwedonto the sleeve until the requisite friction is established between the power member and the driving member. A limited amount of resiliency and flexibility isafforded by a slightly resilient composition ring 26 interposed between the rings 19- and 22, as shown. Inorder to prevent scoring of the friction surfaces the web 15 is provided with a plurality of transversely disposed bores or apertures'27 which, when the in a certain predeterminedangula'r relation.

parts are assembled, are filled with graphite or other suitable lubricant, which automatically distributes itself over the frictionally engaged surfaces, thus prolonging the life of the construction.

The driving member 5 is provided with a gear wheel 28 which is secured to its inner face by bolts'29 or otherwise, this wheel being adapted to mesh with and drive a pinion 31 mounted upon a short shaft 32 which is equipped at its other end with a bevel pinion .33 meshing with and driving a com-v panion pinion 3d mounted on a shaft 35 which operates the transferring mechanism previously mentioned. Since the transferring mechanism and the blank feeding mechanism must operate insynchronism or predetermined timed relation when the machine is in operation it is obvious that the driving member 5 must be connected with the shaft 1 thereto. Theinner face ofthe driving'member, therefore, is provided w th a single ennacigzee gaging or driving shoulder 36 adaptedto cooperate with a companion shoulder 37 on the driven member 2 ofthe clutch, so that when the clutch is thrown in the driving member will always be connected to the shaft 1 in a certain predetermined angular position.

The frictional connection v between the power member '14 and the driving member 5 is so regulated by adjustment of the ring or sleeve 25 that the driving member will that because of the positiveengagementbetween the driving and driven members of the clutch an excessive load or strain will be imposed upon the clutch before the inertia of the shaft 1 and the mechanism operated thereby is overcome. Were no provision made .for slippage or yieldability between the power wheel 14: and the shaft 1 injury either to the clutch or to the mechanism operated by the shaft 1 would result from the effort to instantaneously start the mechanism at high speed. The friction, however, between the power member 14 and the driving member 5 is so regulated that when this excessive strain .is imposed upon the driving member by the driven member 2 of the clutch, slippage between the frictional engaging surfaces on the power member 14: and the drivin member 5 will occur. This slippage will a sorb the shock occasioned by throwing in the clutch and will permit the shaft 1 and the mechanism operated thereby to speed up gradually until the resistance 'ofi'ered to the rotation of the shaft 1 is less than the frictional resistance between the power member" and the. driving member, whereupon the slippage will cease and the shaft 1 will rotate at the same speed as the power member :14. I

. It will beimanifest from the foregoing that I- have provided a clutch which will drive two sets of mechanisms'in predetermined synchronism, will continuously driveone mechanism while the other is permitted desired speed, whereupon the yielding crslippage of the clutch-will cease and the ,mec hanisms will receive their power directly .and without loss from the power member.

'a drivingv member rotatably mounted there? on, means for connecting said driving member to said shaft in predetermlnedangular 1 relation, a contlnuously operating power- .member, a frlctional connection between said power member and said drivingmember, and mechanism connected with said member' so as to be operated thereby in synchronism with said shaft.

2. In a clutch, the combination of a driven shaft, a driving member rotatably mounted thereon, clutch mechanism adapted to connect said driving member to said shaftin predetermined angular relation, said driving member being provided with a radially. disposed friction face, a'friction ring splined on said driving member and having a friction face opposed to said. first mentioned friction face, a power member rotatably mounted on-said driving member between said faces, and'means mounted on the hub of said driving member for adjusting said friction ring so as to frictionally clamp said power member between said friction faces. 3. The combination of a driven shaft, a clutch member splined thereon, a driving member rotatably mounted on said shaft, saiddriving member including a companion clutch member and a driving gear, mechamsm adapted to be driven from said gear, a

power member, and a frictional connection between, said power member and said driving member. I

e 4. In a clutch, the combination of a shaft, a driving member rotatably mounted thereon, means for connecting said driving memher to said shaft, said driving member havinga radially disposed friction face,'a continuously'operating power member rotatably mounted upon the hub of said driving memher, a friction ring splined on said driving member, said power member being dis osed betweenthev opposed friction faces 0 said friction: ring and said driving member, a. thrust ring in proximity to said friction ring, and a collar threaded onto the hub of said member and adapted to beadjusted to force said friction ringinto en-- agement with'said power member to prouce the requisite degree of friction.

' 5. In a clutblnthe combination of a shaft, a driving memberrotatably mounted thereon and .providedwith a friction face, means for connecting said driving member with "said shaft, a friction ring-splined on said driving member, 'a;power,.member disposed between said friction faces a'nd'said friction ring, thrust ring splined on said driving membtr, a resilient ring interposed between 7 said friction ring and said thrust ring, and

an adjustable thrust collar threaded upon said driving member to produce the requisite friction between said power member and the engaging facesof the driving memberand the friction ring.

WILLIAM CAMERON. 

